WALDEN

第30章

Hiswhitebreast,thestillnessoftheair,andthesmoothnessofthewaterwereallagainsthim。Atlengthhavingcomeupfiftyrodsoff,heutteredoneofthoseprolongedhowls,asifcallingonthegodofloonstoaidhim,andimmediatelytherecameawindfromtheeastandrippledthesurface,andfilledthewholeairwithmistyrain,andIwasimpressedasifitweretheprayeroftheloonanswered,andhisgodwasangrywithme;andsoIlefthimdisappearingfarawayonthetumultuoussurface。

Forhours,infalldays,Iwatchedtheduckscunninglytackandveerandholdthemiddleofthepond,farfromthesportsman;trickswhichtheywillhavelessneedtopractiseinLouisianabayous。

Whencompelledtorisetheywouldsometimescircleroundandroundandoverthepondataconsiderableheight,fromwhichtheycouldeasilyseetootherpondsandtheriver,likeblackmotesinthesky;and,whenIthoughttheyhadgoneoffthitherlongsince,theywouldsettledownbyaslantingflightofaquarterofamileontoadistantpartwhichwasleftfree;butwhatbesidesafetytheygotbysailinginthemiddleofWaldenIdonotknow,unlesstheyloveitswaterforthesamereasonthatIdo。

House-WarmingInOctoberIwenta-grapingtotherivermeadows,andloadedmyselfwithclustersmorepreciousfortheirbeautyandfragrancethanforfood。There,too,Iadmired,thoughIdidnotgather,thecranberries,smallwaxengems,pendantsofthemeadowgrass,pearlyandred,whichthefarmerpluckswithanuglyrake,leavingthesmoothmeadowinasnarl,heedlesslymeasuringthembythebushelandthedollaronly,andsellsthespoilsofthemeadstoBostonandNewYork;destinedtobejammed,tosatisfythetastesofloversofNaturethere。Sobutchersrakethetonguesofbisonoutoftheprairiegrass,regardlessofthetornanddroopingplant。Thebarberry’sbrilliantfruitwaslikewisefoodformyeyesmerely;butIcollectedasmallstoreofwildapplesforcoddling,whichtheproprietorandtravellershadoverlooked。WhenchestnutswereripeIlaiduphalfabushelforwinter。ItwasveryexcitingatthatseasontoroamthethenboundlesschestnutwoodsofLincoln——theynowsleeptheirlongsleepundertherailroad——withabagonmyshoulder,andasticktoopenburswithinmyhand,forIdidnotalwayswaitforthefrost,amidtherustlingofleavesandtheloudreproofsoftheredsquirrelsandthejays,whosehalf-consumednutsIsometimesstole,fortheburswhichtheyhadselectedweresuretocontainsoundones。OccasionallyIclimbedandshookthetrees。

Theygrewalsobehindmyhouse,andonelargetree,whichalmostovershadowedit,was,wheninflower,abouquetwhichscentedthewholeneighborhood,butthesquirrelsandthejaysgotmostofitsfruit;thelastcominginflocksearlyinthemorningandpickingthenutsoutofthebursbeforetheyfell,Irelinquishedthesetreestothemandvisitedthemoredistantwoodscomposedwhollyofchestnut。Thesenuts,asfarastheywent,wereagoodsubstituteforbread。Manyothersubstitutesmight,perhaps,befound。

Diggingonedayforfishworms,Idiscoveredtheground-nut(Apiostuberosa)onitsstring,thepotatooftheaborigines,asortoffabulousfruit,whichIhadbeguntodoubtifIhadeverdugandeateninchildhood,asIhadtold,andhadnotdreamedit。Ihadoftensinceseenitscrumpledredvelvetyblossomsupportedbythestemsofotherplantswithoutknowingittobethesame。

Cultivationhaswell-nighexterminatedit。Ithasasweetishtaste,muchlikethatofafrost-bittenpotato,andIfounditbetterboiledthanroasted。ThistuberseemedlikeafaintpromiseofNaturetorearherownchildrenandfeedthemsimplyhereatsomefutureperiod。Inthesedaysoffattedcattleandwavinggrain-fieldsthishumbleroot,whichwasoncethetotemofanIndiantribe,isquiteforgotten,orknownonlybyitsfloweringvine;butletwildNaturereignhereoncemore,andthetenderandluxuriousEnglishgrainswillprobablydisappearbeforeamyriadoffoes,andwithoutthecareofmanthecrowmaycarrybackeventhelastseedofcorntothegreatcornfieldoftheIndian’sGodinthesouthwest,whenceheissaidtohavebroughtit;butthenowalmostexterminatedground-nutwillperhapsreviveandflourishinspiteoffrostsandwildness,proveitselfindigenous,andresumeitsancientimportanceanddignityasthedietofthehuntertribe。SomeIndianCeresorMinervamusthavebeentheinventorandbestowerofit;andwhenthereignofpoetrycommenceshere,itsleavesandstringofnutsmayberepresentedonourworksofart。

Already,bythefirstofSeptember,Ihadseentwoorthreesmallmaplest

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